The price of electronic devices has continued to decrease dramatically. In addition, the types of consumer electronic components and home automation electronics that can be purchased have also continued to increase. For example, DVD players, large screen TVs, multi-carousel CD players, MP3 players, new video games consoles and similar consumer electronic items have continued to drop in price and become more widely available. Other brief examples of home electronics that are available include wireless networks, wireless power controls, fireplaces, garage doors, alarm systems, lighting systems, and even networked appliances. These factors have made home audio, home video, and home automation electronics more available to users.
The availability of large screen TVs, surround-sound stereo equipment, DVDs, CDs, MP3s and similar electronic production equipment has also increased consumer's interest in home theater systems. It has become easier and less expensive to buy many interconnecting components that can be used to provide high quality movies, music, broadcast television, satellite programs, cable programs, Internet connections, and other electronic media components for a home.
The number of controls used to operate electronic devices increases with the number of electronic devices in a home. It is not uncommon for a home theater system to have a television, a DVD player, a VCR, a stereo tuner, a CD player, a digital video recorder such as a TiVo, a cable box, and a satellite controller. Each of these devices typically comes with its own remote control. Other devices in a home automation system that can be remotely controlled may include lighting, a retractable movie screen, a video projector, heating and air conditioning, and even an alarm system. Controlling each device with its own remote can be unwieldy.
To decrease the number of remote controls necessary to operate home automation systems and other devices throughout a home, universal remote controls have been created. Modern universal remote controls can consist of a device with a liquid crystal display (LCD) touch panel screen. The touch panel can be configured using software to operate each of the numerous electronic devices throughout a home. However, the cost and complexity of universal remote controls quickly increases with the demand to be able to operate the ever growing list of electronic devices. A large home may need more than one universal remote to operate the many electronic devices. Unfortunately, the relatively high cost of a broadly functioning universal remote control can make the cost of purchasing several controls somewhat prohibitive.